Who is responsible for chaos on the streets?

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Kingston’s streets are a daily theatre of chaos. Taxis weave through traffic like predators chasing prey, passengers cling to hope that they’ll arrive alive, and state actors seem powerless, issuing regulations that rarely touch the ground. But the question remains: at whom should we point the finger?

The taxi man? He is the visible culprit — speeding, overloading, sometimes treating the road like a racetrack. Yet he is also a product of survival. With fares barely covering fuel and maintenance, many drivers gamble with risk because the system leaves them no choice.

The State? It sets the rules, but seems to have more bark than bite in enforcing the law. What appears to be weak oversight and a lack of investment in public transport has created a vacuum where informal taxis thrive. When the State shrugs at lawlessness, it silently endorses it.

The people? We complain, yet we climb into these cars every day. We normalise the madness, laugh at the danger, and rarely demand accountability. Our silence is complicity. Every time we accept unsafe rides, we become co-authors of the tragedy.

This is not just about taxis; it’s about the social contract. When individuals, institutions, and citizens all abdicate responsibility, chaos becomes culture. The blame is not singular; it is collective. And until we admit that, the streets will remain a battlefield where everyone loses.

ANDRE` MILLER